The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-23

public policy, and not in the concrete,
as affecting personal and public inter-
ests. Let me give you from my per-
sonal observations fact or two:
L once found in large and, at the
time, recently erected county jail, three
little boys, arrested for incorrigibility,
disobedience, truancy, ETC., herded with
seventeen men representing possibly
the average ''jail- bird" of our country.
Among the adult prisoners were several
ex-convicts, one of whom 1 knew to
have served out second conviction a
wilful and willing scoundrel, who had
no excuse whatever for his criminality.
The boys had evidently come to regard
this prisoner with more than ordinary
interest. This was natural for 'Abe"
had been 'over the road twice"-the
road that these boys were likely to
travel-and the incidents of the ''route"
would possess an interest to them equal
to the best story of adventure ever told
by Paul Du Chaillu.
Another thing this convict was not
unkind. He was, in other words, ''good-
natured." Did you ever know boy
that didn't take kindly to good-natured
people p? Well, those boys were being
entertained by the talk of this prisoner.
Observing this fact, and presuming
upon personal acquaintance, 1 took Abe
to one side and pointed out to him, in
few words, what the result of such
association and the possible influence
Of his example would be, in molding
the future character of those boys. L
| then asked him if he would be willing
to tell these boys of his past life, with
a view to leading them into correspond
ing paths. wish that you, Mr.. Editor,
and 1 wish that every reader of the
Record could have seen the expression
of hurt feelings, Of injured innocence,
upon the face of that convict, as he
turned upon me with indignant denial,
couched, of course, in the Jail vernacu-
lar: what do you take me for ?''
What this hardened criminal would not
do, an intelligent Christian community
did do, and is doing to-day. That jail
stands in the shadow of courthouse
that cost 100000. One, at least, of
the boys of whom 1 have spoken, has
served no less than three terms in ouI
State prison.
In the jail above described there was
no alternative. No separation of pris.
oners, no classification could be made
Old and young, adept and novice, were
necessarily herded together.
In another Jail, found the only pos
sible classification of prisoners being
maintained. There were two corridors
into which, on either side, the cells
opened, the cells being back-to-back
the corridors were entered by different
doors. In one corridor two men, re.
Gently brought in from a drunken de-
bauch, were confined with other men
one Of the two was wild, and fairly
raving with delirium tremens hi;
pleadings for whisky were pitiable tC
the last degree.
After inspecting the disordered cell;
and the general rack and ruin of The
one side, | turned to enter, through an
other grated door, the opposite corridor
Pressing against the cold, hard grating
Of the door was the face of boy ap
parently ten or twelve years old. His
sad look, red and swollen face, and the
irrepressible tears that he tried in vaiI
to hide, led to inquiry concerning him
He had been "trespassing," and wher
ordered off the premises had been saucy
and defiant so he had been arrested
and thrown into this jail. In the same
corridor was another boy and several
men-one of the men, wife-muTderer
with the blood of his brutal crime fresh
upon him. Here, with such immedi.
ate associates, and in full hearing (from
the opposite corridor) of the wild raw
ing of drunken maniacs, this boy
thoughtless, possibly, but innocent Of
any real crime, was thrown, to endure a
suffering such as only can come to one
Mortified with surroundings from which
there is no escape, and overwhelmed
with a sense of shame that could find
its only expression in tears. These
tears fell in sight of men as heartless as
the grated bars against which he press
ed in vain hope to hide his grief. 1t
was sad picture one from which or
binary humanity instinetively turns
away.-Dr. Il. g. ByerS, an Iaterna.
tiondI Record of Charities.